Tiger Woods made the cut on the number, while Ryan Palmer was No. 1 on the scoreboard.
Palmer recorded two eagles during a 5-under-par 67 on the North Course and holds a one-stroke lead over defending champion Jon Rahm of Spain midway through the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in La Jolla.
“I just stayed calm after making two early bogeys,” said the 41-year-old Palmer, who has won three times on the PGA Tour, but not since the 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii. “My caddie and I talked about taking care of the par-5s, and I was able to do that with those eagles.
“It was fun, exciting day and it was nice to finish with a long birdie putt on the last hole.”
Palmer, whose eagles came on the ninth and 17th holes, posted a 36-hole score of 11-under 133.
Woods, playing on the PGA Tour for the first time since missing the cut last year and later undergoing back surgery for the fourth time, put his chances to reach the weekend in jeopardy when he mad a double-bogey 6 on the 13th hole on the North Course, his fourth hole of the day.
However, he scrambled for several key pars and made four birdies on the back nine, two-putting for a closing birdie from 75 feet to shoot 71 and is tied for 62nd.
“I just grinded it out,” said Woods, who has won eight times at Torrey Pines, including the 2008 U.S. Open. “I saw at the turn that the cut was 1-under, but didn’t see any scoreboards on the back nine. It’s crazy how many people made the cut. Anybody who made the cut can win the tournament. I hope I can go out and post a low number tomorrow.
“ … I just want to play tournaments, keep porgressing and be ready for April (and the Masters).”
The second-ranked Rahm, who won the CareerBuilder Challenge last week and can rise to No. 1 in the world by winning on Sunday, posted a bogey-free 66 on the North Course, making four birdies on the front nine and two more on the last three holes.
Luke List shot 66 on the South Course and is two back in a tie for third with Tony Finau, who finished off a 70 with a 10-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole of the South.
Alex Noren of Sweden eagled the 17th hole in a 66 on the North Course and is another shot back in solo fifth, while Michael Kim of nearby Del Mar and Cal eagled the sixth hole in a 68 on the South and is four behind in a tie for sixth with Jason Day of Australia, who recorded a bogey-free 64 on the North, and Martin Flores, who had a 67 on the North.
Local favorite Phil Mickelson, who has won three times at Torrey Pines but not since 2001, scrambled to a 68 on the South and is five down in a tie for ninth with Retief Goosen, who also had a 68 on the South; Hunter Mahan, who totaled 70 on the North; Harris English, who shot 68 on the North, and Tom Lovelady, who came in with a 70 on the South.
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